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Maria Menounos reveals the extent of her foot pain

I'm beginning to wonder exactly what goes on behind the scenes of Dancing with the Stars, because the show seems to leave its contestants hobbling around with foot problems. Take, for instance, Maria Menounos, who was eliminated from the show on May 15, and was seen earlier this month trying to look her best in a sleeveless white dress, one sneaker and one orthopedic boot.

Menounos reported to her Twitter followers that had experienced stress fractures to both feet, and the Daily Mail added that she also sustained injuries to her chin and ribs.

"Good news!!! I am healing! One stress fracture in each foot to go and I'm all good. Had a few in each so this is huge news!" Menounos tweeted.

Dancers and foot pain

Menounos could simply stick to hosting televised events rather than prancing around on stage, as dancing is known to lead to issues like bunions, hammer toe, fallen arches, stress fractures, blisters and more. This is because of the intense and repetitive motions involved in the activity, which have a tendency to put pressure on the feet.

However, she doesn’t have to give up the activity, either. There are ways to prevent foot pain, even in the most dedicated dancers.

For example, treating the feet well by wearing shoes with good arch support and performing targeted stretching exercises can keep the many tendons, ligaments and bones there functioning well. Additionally, icing sore areas after a long day and visiting a podiatrist for recurring foot problems may help prevent serious issues.

Surgery should be a last resort

Overuse conditions include bunions, hammer toe and fallen arches. These differ from acute injuries in that they occur over time, and can therefore sneak up on a person, sometimes progressing to the point when operations like bunion surgery are necessary.

As such, people who are at a high risk of developing problems – who include athletes, dancers and women who wear high heels frequently – should keep an eye on their feet and take note of their joint health.

Deformities like bunions and hammer toe can be prevented from becoming advanced through regular use of non-invasive devices like orthotics and bunion splints – which are far less costly and risky than surgical means of correction.